The Dean of School of the Built Environment and Architecture for London Southbank University in UK, Professor George Ofori has charged the Ghana government to consider prioritizing the construction industry in the country.
According to the Dean who doubles as the consultant and advisor to Government and International Agencies on Construction Industry, the developed countries such us UK, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore among others can boost of their construction industries because they are being supported by their respective governments.
Professor Ofori is of the view that emulating the aforementioned developed nations should come by well-formulated structures.
He made this known to Kingdom FM’s KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH when the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment together with the Centre for Sustainable Development of the Koforidua Technical University in the Eastern Region presented a research seminar for their lecturers on construction industry.
The topic discussed was ‘Construction Industry Development in Developing Countries’, new challenges and proposed agenda in Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) world.
Professor Ofori explained that “If the construction industries in Ghana are in good shaped and discharging their duties accordingly by using high quality building materials but affordable for their work will make the standard of living good for everybody in the country.”
Meanwhile, the Dean of Facility of Built and Natural Environment of the Koforidua Technical University who championed the research seminar, Dr. Prince Boateng indicated construction industries in Ghana does not have proper structure; hence the lead to many waste in the system.
“Even some construction industries doesn’t know how to do budgeting either they do under budgeting or over budgeting and all this things pull us backwards in terms of development.
“We have a term called ‘pedagogy’ and it means the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theological concept. Thus, bringing this two together really help us to achieve the productivity we want and it also opens the economy as well as the societal activities.
“The construction industry can generate an income for the country should the gov’t assisted them and put in place proper measures,” he stated.
In that regards, Professor William Gyadu Asiedu, the Director of Works and Physical Development at the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment of the University, was pleased with the programme and noted the department had been waiting for such occasion for very long.
According to him, they were looking for research agenda for the next five years which the seminar will give them a fair ideas to be used to defined their research for the institution.
By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.
Source//Obohnews.
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